This is my own experience, but you might be experiencing something similar. The further along I got in my education, the less I made. My first job after my Masters was less than what I was making had I stayed with the company I had been with before those gut wrenching education years. I could have retired comfortably now, as have many of my colleagues that I once worked with, or those that worked for me.
My niece's husband, also with a Master's in Education, would rather clean up rat poop in a laboratory than go back to attempting to teach children who have no wish to learn. Something is terribly wrong when the best and brightest, as you obviously are, cannot find a worthy role in the education field.
Your education *will* open many doors. If you find the field that inspires you, don't be too proud to begin again, salary wise. Cream always rises to the top.
